Former ice cream shop could be torn down Thursday

Wednesday

Oct 11, 2017 at 6:41 PMOct 11, 2017 at 6:41 PM

Robert Connelly The Register-Mail RConnelly_

MAQUON — A deteriorating building in the heart of the village could begin to be torn down Thursday.

The structure at 310 Main St., which formerly housed a barber shop and more recently The Spoon Parlor ice cream store, had its roof collapse inside of its three standing walls at about 3:07 p.m. Tuesday.

Maquon Fire Protection District Chief Patrick Hohenbery told The Register-Mail crews were called out to the building at that time by Knox County 911 in case the front of the building fell onto Illinois Route 97/Main Street.

“The building has been in bad shape for a number of years now. The one corner of the building has been missing for couple years now,” Hohenbery said.

“I believe just the combination of the rain and the deterioration of the brick led to the roof finally collapsing.”

The building had a bit of a slant to as it leaned toward Main Street while a light rain sprinkled the area Wednesday afternoon. The three walls remained standing, but whatever was left of a second story floor was taken down by the roof collapse.

Yellow "caution" tape and barricades formed a perimeter around the building, which had chunks of brick missing from the tops of its walls.

Hohenbery further said he didn’t believe the collapse would affect this weekend’s Knox County Scenic Drive, unless the front of the building falls. As Wednesday progressed, word began to circulate that the building's owners could begin tearing the structure down ahead of this weekend's Scenic Drive.

Jon Laird of Spoon River Valley Mercantile, 314 Main St., and also a village board member said he believed the structure was going to be torn down Thursday. The building shares a wall with its neighboring building, which sits between the old ice cream shop and the mercantile.

"I heard it. I thought the roof was going to fly off here," Laird said of the roof collapse.

He had initially thought the sound was that of a storm, such as a tornado.

"The past week I had started to notice the walls started tilting out ... bricks falling down, which hadn't happened" before, he said.

The sidewalk was barricaded directly in front of the structure, with bricks that had previously been on top of the wall of the two-story structure now laying on the pavement.

Tracey Mas, who oversees the Scenic Drive in Maquon, said no one has been set up in front of the building for a few years due to safety concerns, so no vendors from last weekend would be moved this weekend.

"It's a no-entry zone. We don't let anyone set up there," she said.

"We've anticipated that building was going to go down for the last few years."

Mas said flaggers could possibly be on Illinois Route 97 for traffic during this weekend's Scenic Drive.

"I know everyone is watching and they're giving them the opportunity to tear it down ... I think IDOT would be appeased if they got that top level down," she said, referencing the Illinois Department of Transportation.

If a re-route were to occur, local traffic and cars would go down what local residents call the parade route on West Street, Mas said.

"It's all going to depend on what the owners of that building can accomplish. ... safety comes first, whether it's the local people or visitors. We have to maintain a safe zone," she said.